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Effect of Prolonged Fasting on Iron Stores and Blood Constituents in Young Swine

National Institute of Animal Industry, Chiba 280, Japan

Abstract

Twenty-four pigs averaging 60 kg live weight were used. The treated animals were fasted for IS days followed by 15 days refeeding. The control animals were fed ad libitum for 30 days. Hemoglobin was elevated significantly from the early stage of fasting, but refeeding depressed the concentration to a level similar to that of the fed animals. Nonheme and total iron concentrations in the liver and spleen of the fasted animals were elevated about twofold compared with those of the fed animals, whereas, liver weight was about a half of that in the fed animals. A ratio of ferritin to hemosiderin iron in the tissues was constant between the groups. Increased iron concentration was closely related with organ weight loss; fasting decreased organ size and increased iron concentration in these tissues. Because of the high iron concentration, a severe reduction of fasting total iron-finding capacity (TIBC) values and increases of plasma iron (PI) and percent of PI of TIBC were observed. Weight loss due to fasting is a significant factor inducing increased iron concentration in the body.

¹ Department of Animal Physiology.

² The author expresses his appreciation to Mr. A. Kawabata for valuable assistance.